Brewster v. Yockey

153 So. 2d 489
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 6, 1963
Docket1057
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 153 So. 2d 489 (Brewster v. Yockey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brewster v. Yockey, 153 So. 2d 489 (La. Ct. App. 1963).

Opinion

153 So.2d 489 (1963)

Miss Mildred L. BREWSTER
v.
Hal Ross YOCKEY and James Russell, in Solido.

No. 1057.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 6, 1963.
Rehearing Denied June 4, 1963.

Richard Dowling, New Orleans, for plaintiff-appellant. *490 Chehardy & Werhan, John C. Werhan, New Orleans, for Hal Ross Yockey, defendant-appellee.

Adams & Reese, John T. Cooper, New Orleans, for James Russell, defendant-appellee.

Before YARRUT, CHASEZ and HALL, JJ.

CHASEZ, Judge.

The plaintiff, Mildred L. Brewster, brought this action against defendants, Hal Ross Yockey and James Russell, for a return of the deposit made by her under the terms of a real estate contract amounting to the sum of $1,950.00. After the court disposed of the exceptions to the jurisdiction of the court filed by the defendant, Russell, and the exceptions of nonjoinder filed by the defendants, Hal Ross Yockey and James Russell, both defendants filed their answers and reconventional demands seeking judgment against the plaintiff.

The trial court very cogently set forth the important facts elicited at the trial of this case on the merits as follows:

"Petitioner, Miss Mildred M. Brewster, brings this suit against Hal Ross Yockey, as owner, and James Russell, as real estate broker, for the sum of $1,950.00. This suit arises out of a contract to purchase dated January 22, 1960. Under the terms of this contract, Miss Brewster agreed to purchase, or offered to agree to purchase, No. 3 Oaklawn Drive, Metairie, Parish of Jefferson, from Hal Ross Yockey. The contract was duly signed by Miss Brewster and by Hal Ross Yockey, and the selling agent was listed as E. A. Russell, signed June 22, 1960. The contract provided for a cash down payment of $8000.00, conditioned upon obtaining a Homestead or conventional loan of $11,500.00 over a period of twenty or twenty-five years. The plaintiff deposited with Russell the sum of $1950.00 as provided for by the contract.
"The petition alleges that the plaintiff applied to the Eureka Homestead in the City of New Orleans for a loan of $11,500.00 to be paid over a period of twenty or twenty-five years, and that the Eureka Homestead declined to grant said loan to petitioner; that thereafter petitioner made other contacts and could not obtain said loan upon the terms and conditions set forth in said offer; and she further alleges that the contract is void for uncertainty in that it fails to provide the rate of interest in said agreement and fails to specifically designate the length of time the loan should run.
"Petitioner further alleges that due to the following clause of the contract: `Should the loan required be unobtainable by purchaser, seller or agent before the date for the passing of the Act of Sale, this agreement shall become null and void, and the agent is authorized to return purchaser's deposit in full,' she is entitled to the return of her deposit.
"The testimony of Mr. Benecke of the Eureka Homestead was to the effect that the plaintiff had verbally applied to him for a loan; that he had gone over the contract with the purchaser, the repairs to be done to the property, and had told the plaintiff—and he so testified—that she did not have sufficient salary to qualify for a loan with the Eureka Homestead on this particular piece of property; and further, that the property was in need of repairs, and the Eureka Homestead did not desire to make the loan. No written application was ever made to the Eureka Homestead or to its loan committee, because Mr. Benecke, acting for the Association, had verbally advised plaintiff that such a loan would not be obtainable, and that ended the matter there.
*491 "The testimony of the plaintiff is that she then placed the matter in the hands of Mr. Joseph Rosenberg, who was her attorney in these proceedings prior to present counsel, and Mr. Rosenberg attempted to obtain loans, she believed, from other sources, and reported that he was unable to do so.
"There is testimony in the record by the defendants and by Mr. Jeansonne to the effect that they called upon the Jackson Homestead within the time limits of the contract and talked to the manager of the Jackson Homestead, who stated that he believed such a loan was tenable but that the plaintiff would have to make a written application, which is the rule of all Homesteads in the City of New Orleans. The testimony is replete to the effect that the plaintiff never attempted to obtain a loan from any other source other than her efforts through the Eureka Homestead, and whatever Mr. Rosenberg did. Mr. Rosenberg was not produced as a witness to testify as to what he may have done in relation to obtaining a loan for this lady, although the Court knows Mr. Rosenberg as an attorney and he is sure that his presence could have been easily obtained if it was desired.
"The testimony is further to the effect that the plaintiff refused to talk to Mr. Yockey, Mr. Jeansonne or Mr. Russell concerning the transaction after she notified them, Mr. Yockey over the telephone and perhaps Mr. Russell also, that she was unable to obtain a loan from the Eureka Homestead. There are documents in the record to the effect that Mr. Jeansonne or Mr. Russell, either one or the other, notified her prior to the expiration date of the contract to the effect they thought she would be able to obtain a loan from Jackson Homestead had she made proper application. The record shows she did not desire to cooperate.
"The plaintiff on the witness stand characterized the premises she had bought as being in a deplorable condition, that it was sagging, that the bathroom was in a deplorable condition, and it is easy for the Court to discern that she did not care to go through with the contract.
"There is in the record the testimony of Mr. Russell, Mr. Jeansonne and Mr. Yockey to the effect that the plaintiff called them even at late hours at night during the time that the contract was in being, and after the date that it expired, when she was attempting to get her deposit back, and used such language that they cared not to repeat it in the Courtroom. They said the conversation was a one way conversation, and it has not been denied, to the effect she called them up and told them certain things but did not desire for them to answer, and therefore it was a monologue, whereafter the phone was hung up.
"Nowhere in the record does it show that plaintiff was attempting to get the loan after the time Mr. Bennecke turned her down at the Eureka Homestead.
"Under the law, counsel states that the clause with reference to the Homestead loan and the purchaser being able to secure same is a potestative condition. This the Court does not agree with.
"The Court finds it may be a mixed condition, or it may be a suspensive condition, but it is not a potestative condition.
"Counsel states it was the duty under the contract for the seller to make a tender of title. Under the law a tender of title, when it is a vain and useless thing, does not have to be made.
"Accordingly, there will be a judgment dismissing plaintiff's suit.
*492 "The defendants, Yockey and Russell, have reconvened, Yockey in the sum of $1950.00 and Russell in the sum of $1170.00 plus attorney's fees which are called for by the contract in the sum of $390.00.

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Bluebook (online)
153 So. 2d 489, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brewster-v-yockey-lactapp-1963.